Everything we know so far about Apple's plans to change TV

The current Apple TV box. Flickr/_zand The last time we saw a new Apple TV was way back in 2012.

So now that we've become accustomed to yearly updates, an updated model is overdue.

But Apple apparently felt little reason to give it an update. After all, all it had to do was stream and play video, and the Apple TV could do that just fine.

But the world is changing. Ultra-high definition 4K TVs are becoming more common-place and cable companies are getting worried about cord-cutting internet TV streaming services, like Sling and Sony's PlayStation Vue.

The current version of the Apple TV can't handle any of that at the moment, and there were rumors Apple was working on its own internet TV streaming service.

We're expecting a lot of rather monumental changes. Here are some of the most plausible rumors about the next Apple TV upgrade.

1/

It'll have a new sleeker, thinner design.

Apple

BuzzFeed reports that the new Apple TV design will be "more polished." That could mean that it'll have a sleeker look, with a potentially thinner profile.

This is entirely likely, especially when we consider the size difference between the first Apple TV and the current model, which is a lot smaller and sleeker.

2/

It might come with a new remote with a touchpad.

Screenshot

Back in May of this year, Brian X. Chen of The New York Times reported that the new Apple TV might come with a new remote with a touchpad that would give you a similar way to navigate around the Apple TV as the touchpad on a laptop.

The report suggested that the new remote will still have the two main buttons for the play/pause and menu functions, but that it would be slightly thicker than the current remote.

3/

It might have Siri for voice commands.

YouTube

The BuzzFeed report and several rumors before it suggested that Siri could also be included.

Siri on the new Apple TV may allow you to navigate around the user interface using your voice. For example, you could command the Apple TV to go to the Netflix app without touching the remote.

4/

You could be using your favorite apps from the App Store.

Apple

We could see the App Store in the new Apple TV, which means we might be able to use our favorite iOS apps on our TVs, including games.

With the current Apple TV, we're pretty limited to the video channels on offer, so access to the App Store could give the new device much more functionality and use.

5/

It will have a faster processor.

The A8 processor of the Apple iPhone 6 Plus is shown during a product teardown by iFixit in Melbourne, Australia
Thomson Reuters

The current Apple TV's current insides are getting relatively old, which leads to relatively sluggish performance. It would make sense that Apple would use new components, and rumors have floated around that the new Apple TV will have the same A8 chip that's in the iPhone 6/6 Plus.

The service was rumored to feature 25 channels for a lightweight, base-line offering with a price tag between $30 and $40 per month. It would let you stream the live TV over the internet without a cable or satellite subscription.

However, there's a chance the new TV service won't be ready in time for the new Apple TV's launch in September.

7/

Apple scrapped plans to build an television set.

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

For years there were rumors that Apple was building a television set. But according to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, the project was scrapped in 2014. It seems like Apple will stick to the set-top box and streaming live TV service instead.